The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-17
LIGHTS STILL NEGLECTED
INSPECTOR LAMBERTON'S REPORT
OF HIS INVESTIGATION.

How Some of the Keepers Celebrate
Pay-Day-A Chance Yet for Reform.
On Aug. IA the MORNING NEWS pub
lished an article upon the inefficiency of the
bookkeeping service in the Savannah river,
giving instances of neglect, and also calling
attention to the necessity for a perfect SER
vice. The chairman of the Lighthouse
Board sent the article to Commander Lam
berton, at Charleston, who has charge of
this district, with instructions to investi
gate the charges. Mr.. Lamberton came
over to Savannah, talked with number of
people, and made the following report:
INSPECTOR LAMBERToN's REPORT.
OFFICE u S. L. H. INSPECTOR, SIXTH DISTRICT
CHARLESTON, S. c., Sept. l6, 1887
To the Chairman Of the Light House Board,
| WASHINGTON ID. c.:
SIR-In reply to the Boards letter of the 18th
| August, 1887 directing an investigation into
certain charges against the Keepers of the Sa-
vannah river lights, Georgia, as published in the
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS, Aug. Ia, 1887, have
the honor to report as follows viz;
The pilots and river men have had great
deal of trouble. Many times the
lights, at various points, have not been lit,
ETC.. etc
called upon Messrs. w. J. Thompson, w. F.
Benet, j. S. Bliss William Proctor and w. II.
Spencer all Savannah river pilots, who have
been running on the river ever since the lights
were originally IGnLbu, ana edcO one LHdU
he had never, on any occasion, seen light out
at night when it should have been lighted
Capt. Spencer made an exception of one night,
that of Aug. 8, 1857, when, in passing the Port
Jackson range both lights were out and that
was the only instance that he could recall
The General Manager of the Ocean Steamship
Company, G. NJ Sorrell Esq, has written me me
| to him by any of the captains of his line of any
of the lights on the river being out. The steam
ers OF this company are the only ones that run
| tiaa fix ,lar ltyo MO
| Frederick Dixon has charge of the front light
| of the Fig Island range and not of the range.
His beacon is about two miles below the city of
Savannah, to which he pulls in boat, and he
is not furnished with quarters. No complaint
has ever been sent to this office regarding his
light His station boat, which he is obliged to
keep at the city, has on several occasions been
turned adrift by malicious persons, the last
time on May g. 1887, it was carried off and not
found again until June IL, when it was dis
| covered up the river under a dock with q hole
bored through the bottom
Mr.. Samuel s McFall, and not Robertson, is
the keeper of the Fort Jackson range lights.
His lights are on a rice field about four miles
below the city, and consist of eight signal Ian
terms hoisted iron beacons There is no
dwelling for the keeper and no one could live in
such a locality On July 3, 1881, after the
lights had been lighted and. hoisted, some I'M
known parties visited the lights, let the front
juring the lantern broke the lens OF
the rear lantern in order to put out
the light, cut away and carried off the haards.
| was obliged TO supply the stations with two
new lanterns and new halliards. The boat at
this station has also been turned adrift on three
occasions during the past three months, not
withstandng it was chained and locked.
The charge against Mr.. John johnson, keeper
of the Tybee knoll cut range and two long
island beacons does him great injustice, and is
without particle of truth.
| beg to inclose letter from Capt. 7. H.
Laird, Jr. commanding the United States
from the MORNING NEWS of Savannah, Ga
relating to Mr.. Johnson
Mr.. Campbell, who has charge of Venus Point
range does not live on Tybee Island and does
not employ negroes about the station.
Mr.. James Feeley, keeper of Elba island
. range is addicted to drink. His lights have
been well attended, but he is no credit to the
service. He was referred to, as being at Tybee
on Aug. 8. | would respectfully recommend
that his appointment be revoked.
THE matter has been reported to Inspector
Lamberton at Charleston but, ~ etc.
. No delinquencies on the part of any of tht
keepers of the Savannah river lights have evel
been reported to me.
The copy of the article from the SAVANNAH
= MORNING News is herewith returned as directed
, am sir, very respectfully, your obedient serv
{ ant, b. P. LAMBERToN.
Com. U. S. n, and l.. Ii. Insptr.
THEIR BOATS STOLEN.
5 Inspector Lamberton says that Dixon
{ boat has been stolen on several occasions
= Dixon's boat would not be interfered will
| if he would lock it, but be lends it to every
( one and anyone who wants it, and DixoI
| | knows that it is used at pleasure and with
out asking his permission by all sorts o
{ people along the wharves. But that is no
2 all against Dixon In the first place he bear
j bad reputation, and of this Inspector
5 Lamberton has been Informed. He ha
: been in the Police Court since he has been il
= the service, the last time for drunkenness
/, cursing, abusing and resisting an officer
S As to his neglect of duty; the regulations re
S quire that the lights shall be lighted by sun
S set. On Oct g the sun set at 5:39 O'Clock
g Dixon was in a saloon on River street unit
t 5:4S when he started to his boat. He hat
} then to pull down to his lights, two miles be
v fore he could hight them. The next evening
Oct. Z, he sent q boy down to the lights
= while he remained in the same saloon drink
: ing. Inspector Lamberton's defense O
t Dixon does not explain why he so Otter
o sends boy to the lights instead of going
himself
Samuel S. McFall is another victim O
boat thieves, and his boat is turned adrift
. Notwithstanding it was chained ant
), locked" Inspector Lamberton does no
. seem to think it strange that these tw
lightkeepers who need an explanation fol-
their negligence, should have their boat
= stolen when other people along the wharve
seldom lose boat that is chained.
S DOES NOT USE BOAT.
his boat, but leaves it loose at the Savan
K nah Florida and Western railway wharves
! and another fact is, that it is yer,
rarely the case that McFall uses hi
boat to go to his lights. He lives four mile
out on the Augusta road, and goes to hi
lights by land, unless the tides are so tina
> he can go down on an ebb and come bacI
conveniently on food without working a
l the oars. Inspector Lamberton explain
: why the lights were out on July 25, but the,
@ were not lit ON another night. The las
, Saturday in August, or the first in Septem
l. Der, they were not lighted, and tn
n tug Levi Davis, coming up the river will
!, two scows, ran over the buoy and yer,
= nearly destroyed it. Inspector Lambertoi
@ has made no report of this occurrence tina
|, has been heard of He says Campbell doe
, not live on Tybee, and does not employ ne
/, groes. Campbelrs family lives at Tybee
= and he spends a good deal of his time there
!, and if he does not employ the negroes, thel
S he gets work out of them for nothing
= NOT EXPECTED TO BE ANGELS.
When Inspector Lamberton was conduct
ing his investigation he made the startling
announcement that you couldn't expec
IL light keepers to be little brass angels OF
: wheels, and he did not care a if the,
\ did get drunk so long as they attended t.
their lights" Yet, he says in his report tina
;, | bo,